Cheating has always existed in multiplayer games, and for the most part it’s just a minor annoyance, but now that there are millions of dollars up for grabs at eSports tournaments, cheating has become a problem with much larger stakes. A man by the name of David Titarenco thinks he’s solved part of the problem with a tiny little Arduino box he calls “Game:ref.”

Premium gaming services like Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus have done very well on consoles, but they’ve largely been absent from the world of PC gaming. Multiplayer is almost always free (except MMOs), and Steam sales have kept the cheap games flowing at a constant rate. But now Microsoft is considering bringing Xbox Live Gold to the PC, and finally giving Valve a run for its money.

Today, the Windows team will take the stage at Microsoft’s headquarters, and give us a proper rundown of what Windows 10 is all about. Will we finally see something worth upgrading for? Is DirectX 12 going to matter? I’m not quite convinced yet, but we should hear some firm details about pricing and release dates at the very least. Check back here at 12pm EST (9am PST) for all of the latest details as they become available.

Steam, one of the sole bastions of sanity when it comes to digital games distribution, has enabled region locking on games. This means if you buy a game in one territory, you can no longer use it in another territory — much like DVD region locking (but more effective, as Steam’s region locking hasn’t been cracked). While this might look like oppressive behavior by Valve, there’s actually a very good reason behind the locks: Unstable currencies, like the Russian ruble, caused by the crashing price of crude oil. Or maybe Valve (and publishers) are just sick of people buying games cheaply in other territories, then redeeming them in their (more expensive) home countries.

I grew up on the classic Lucas adventure games, and so I was pleased as Punch to see that Ron Gilbert was teaming up with Maniac Mansion co-creator Gary Winnick to make an all-new adventure that looks and plays like a game made back in 1987. I immediately tossed my $20 towards the project, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I wanted to know more about the process of making an old-fashioned game with new tools, so I asked Ron for an interview, and here we are. Today, Professor Gilbert is here to drop some science on all of us.

In a rather chilling case of dystopian sci-fi made real, some Canadians have created a modified Xbox gamepad that draws blood from your arm every time your in-game character takes damage. While this is ostensibly a rather noble effort, it’s hard not to see this as the first step towards extreme gaming and e-sports where losers actually die in real life.

Use of this site is governed by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Copyright 1996-2015 Ziff Davis, LLC.PCMag Digital Group All Rights Reserved. ExtremeTech is a registered trademark of Ziff Davis, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Ziff Davis, LLC. is prohibited.